Listen to papers and textbooks
Hear a reading assignment, research paper, or lecture handout while you follow the highlighted text. Listening and reading at the same time can make long material easier to get through.
Free PDF text to speech
Read any PDF aloud, free
Drop in a PDF or paste text and press play. It reads in the most natural voice your browser has, and highlights each sentence so you can follow along.
- Starts instantly
- Female or male voice
- No sign-up
- Your file stays on your device
Drop a PDF here
Your file is read in your browser and never uploaded.
How to read a PDF aloud
Add your PDF
Drag a PDF onto the reader or click Choose a PDF. You can also paste text instead.
Pick a voice and speed
Choose a female or male voice and a speed from 0.75x to 2x.
Press play
Listen and follow the highlighted sentence. Click any sentence to jump to it.
Ways to use read aloud
Catch mistakes by ear
Hearing your own writing read back makes missing words, repeated phrases, and clumsy sentences easier to spot. Export your draft as a PDF or paste it in.
Make reading easier
Read aloud helps with dyslexia, low vision, and eye strain. Slow the speed down, or click any sentence to hear it again.
Get through documents faster
Listen to reports, contracts, and manuals at up to 2x speed. Keep the tab open while you tidy your desk or take notes.
Done reading?
Write with your voice.
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Works in every app & website on your computer.
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Other ways to have a PDF read aloud
This reader works in any desktop browser without installing anything. If you would rather use an app you already have, these built-in options also read PDFs aloud:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Open the PDF, then choose View, Read Out Loud, Activate Read Out Loud. You can read the current page or the whole document.
- Microsoft Edge
- Open the PDF in Edge and click Read aloud in the toolbar. Edge includes some natural-sounding online voices.
- Mac
- Turn on Speak selection in System Settings, Accessibility, Spoken Content. Then select text in Preview and press Option-Esc.
- Windows
- Narrator, the built-in screen reader, can read documents aloud. Turn it on with Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter.
Why some PDFs cannot be read aloud
A read-aloud tool needs real text in the PDF. Scanned pages and photos of documents are images, so there are no words to read. Run them through a text recognition (OCR) tool first, then open the new PDF here.
Password-protected PDFs need to be unlocked before their text can be extracted. Some PDFs with unusual layouts, such as multi-column pages or tables, may be read in a slightly different order than they appear.
Loved by thousands of users
Over 500 million words dictated with Voicy
CL Cobb
★★★★★
I've tried other products like it, and, so far, Voicy is the most user-friendly, and it really improves my workflow.
Victor Rodriguez
★★★★★
Almost instant replies from the creator, great support great app!
Crystal Willis
★★★★★
I love Voicy!! The extension and the desktop app have saved me so much time. I have tried several different voice-to-text apps. None of them compares to Voicy!
Parker Holland
★★★★★
Super useful and fast. Makes getting ideas on the page much easier.
Clint Groves
★★★★★
Voicy revolutionized how I interacted with AI and wrote long-form content.
Elliott Tong
★★★★★
This is a huge time saver! I am able to type pretty quick. But this literally lets my thoughts flow onto the screen, its incredible
Read with your ears. Write with your voice.
10,000+ happy users
30 minutes of free recording timeFree trial. No credit card required.
FAQ
Is this PDF reader really free?
Yes. It's free with no sign-up, and Voicy doesn't limit the number of pages or how long you listen.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. Your file is opened and its text is extracted inside your browser. One exception: in Edge and Chrome, the voices can be online voices, so the sentences being read may be sent to Microsoft or Google to be spoken.
Which browser has the most natural voice?
Microsoft Edge, which includes Microsoft's natural voices. Chrome comes next with Google's voices. Safari and Firefox use your computer's built-in voices, which usually sound more robotic. The reader picks the best voice your browser has.
Can I download the audio as an MP3?
No. The reader plays your browser's voices directly, so there's no audio file to save.
Does it work on my phone?
The reader is made for computers. It works on Mac, Windows, and Linux in Chrome, Edge, Safari, and Firefox. Phone and tablet browsers don't read long documents reliably.
Which languages are supported?
English for now. The reader works best with English PDFs and text.
Why won't my PDF read aloud?
The PDF probably has no text layer. Scanned documents and photos are images, so they need text recognition (OCR) first. Password-protected PDFs also need to be unlocked before they can be read.
What is Voicy?
Voicy is a speech-to-text app. Press a shortcut, speak, and your words are typed into any app or website, 3x faster than typing. It works on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android, and Chrome. Try it free with 30 minutes of recording time and no credit card.